Fundraising ideas & tips to help you deal with funeral costs. Get assistance to pay bills for memorials and funerals, or set up a memorial fund or a commemorative scholarship.

When a loved one passes away, it can seem impossible for the surviving family to cope with the grief, let alone the financial costs of final arrangements. By crowdfunding for funeral and memorial costs, you can spend less time worrying about finances. Whether you’d like to commemorate your loved one with a memorial fund or scholarship, or you have upcoming funeral bills, GoFundMe can help. Take a look at some of the campaigns below to see how others have helped survivors of the deceased.

Fundraising for Outstanding Medical Bills

Amount raised: $6,000+

When Ben’s best friend fell ill and passed away unexpectedly, he was heartbroken. He wanted to ease any stress on the family caused by outstanding medical bills, so he started a GoFundMe that raised over $6,000 for them during a time of tragedy. more

Fundraising for Funeral and Cremation Expenses

Amount raised: $10,500+

Marissa described her mother as a “stubborn fighter” who refused to let cancer take her away from her children. After being in remission for over a decade, though, the cancer returned in full force and Marissa’s mother passed away. Marissa started a GoFundMe to honor her mother’s wishes of being cremated and having a party to celebrate her life. more

Fundraising for a Memorial Scholarship

Amount raised: $60,000+

First Lieutenant Weston Lee was killed by an improvised explosive device while serving in Iraq. To honor his legacy, a memorial scholarship was established to benefit Sigma Alpha Epsilon members at the University of North Georgia, and over $60,000 was raised through GoFundMe to make that possible. more

Fundraising to Support Surviving Family Members

Amount raised: $490,000+

Georgia State Patrol Trooper Nathan Bradley was distraught when he discovered that two victims of a fatal car crash on Halloween night left behind four young children. After spending a heart-wrenching evening with them, Nathan took action and raised nearly $500,000 to cover funeral costs and lend support to the children. more

Fundraising to Support Surviving Family Members

Amount raised: $221,000+

After the loss of their beloved son and brother, the Maigetter family opened up a GoFundMe for the wife and two young children left behind. With more than 2,000 donors, the campaign managed to raise over $221,000 to support the grieving family. more

Fundraising for Traveling Expenses

Amount raised:$680,000+

After a man was shot and killed in a racially-motivated confrontation in Kansas, a friend opened a GoFundMe and enough money was raised to send their beloved friend, engineer, and husband back to his native India so the family could pay their final respects. more

Fundraising to Celebrate a Legacy

Amount raised: $8,000+

Jessica was grief-stricken after her dear friend and roommate had her life cut short one terrible night. Yearning for a physical place to visit and honor her friend, Jessica raised money to plant a memorial tree in UCLA’s botanical garden, one of her friend’s favorite spots. more

“For our family, GoFundMe was a safe and easy way to raise money for my mother’s funeral. Asking people for money is hard enough in itself, but GoFundMe made sharing and posting updates a smooth process.”